Cleaning means



y 1931- V H. A. CUTTING 3,693

' CLEANING mamas Filed April 24, 1929 v INVENTOR HERBE T A. a TT/Na.

BY Na fliwr A TT ORNE Y Patented May 1931- PATENI; OFFICE A. comma, ornnrnorr, urcarem CLEANING KEANE Application filed April 84,

One of the primary objects of my invention is to rovide a means wherebysteam may be supp ed and used with a suction or vacuum cleaner for thepurpose of aiding in the clean- 5 ing of rugs, ts or the like.

have foun that if steam is supplied at a point adjacent to the suctionopening of a vacuum cleaner a most remarkable increased cleaningefliciency is had. Other objects of my invention are the provision ofsimple and eflicient mechamsm by which steammay be produced and suppliedto a conventional suction of vacuum cleaner.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement, combination and construction of the various parts of myimproved device as described in the specification, claimed in my claimsand shown in the accompanying drawings, in

go which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a vacuum cleaner showing my inventionapplied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in elevation and as partly in section, showingin detail the nozzle by which steam is supplied to a vacuum cleaner.

Fig. 4 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing awater tank and w heater such as may be utilized with my in-.

vention.

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. I have shown more or lessdiagrammatically a conventional suction or vacuum cleaner which I havegenerally indicated at 5, having a conventional electric motor 6,foreign matter collector or bag 7, and operating handle 8. The suctioninlet for the cleaner will be conventionally located at the forward por-0 tion thereof as is indicated at 9.

be amped around the housing of the motor 6 by means of bolt and nut,indicated generally at 11, and which supports at one end a container 12,which is adapted to contain water. Water may-be supplied to thecontainer 12 by removmg the cap 13 thereon.

The bottom of the container 12 has secured thereto a housing 14containing an electrical resistance unit 15 which may be connected 1989.Serial No. 857,649.

through suitable wires 16 with a source of electricit If desired thewires 16 may be connecte with the wires 17 which run to the electricmotor 6 so that when the motor is operated the resistance unit 15 islikewise op- 6 erated. O ration of the unit 15 will cause the'water 1nthe container 12 to be heated.- When the water has been heated to thepoint where steam is formed,'such steam will ass from the containerthrough the pipe 18, w 'ch connects with the top of the container,downwardliinto'anozzle member 19-wl1ich is located by a bracket 20directly in froht'of s e the cleaner housing and of the suction nozzle9. Steam passes from the nozzle 19 vthrough the holes 25 in the bottomthereof.

I have found that the use of these holes greatly facilitates an equal.distribution of the steam across the entlre face. of the suctionnozzle.Inasmuch as the nozzle member 19 is downwardly directed, it will bereadily apparent that steam will be supplied to the flower carpetindirectly in front of the suction nozzle 9 and the combination of thesteam and the suction results in a cleaning of the carpeting which ismuch superior to any results obtained steam.

As willbe readily understood, movement of the vacuum cleaner over thesurface being cleaned will result in the cleaner acting upon the surfaceimmediately after it has been treated with steam, and I have found thisto result in a much brightened and efliciently cleaned surface.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made in the arrangement,combination and construction of the various parts of my by cleaningwithout the improved device without departing from the IcFrovide abracket member 10, which may spirit of my invention and it is myintention to cover by my claims such changes as may be reasonablyincluded within the scope thereof.

What I claim is: 1. A vacuum cleaner including a housing member and asuction inlet, a water container removably secured to said housing andhavin an outlet leading to a point adj acent suction inlet and means forheatto said housingb ing water in said container to supply steam to anarticle bein cleaned.

2. A vacuum c eaner including a housin member and a suction inlet, abracket swure member, a water container secured to said racket andhaving an outlet leading to a oint adjacent said suction inlet and meansor heating water in said container to supply steam through the outlet toan article beinfifileaned.

RBERT A. CU'I'IING.

